1. Brahman
The supreme power in Hinduism. Brahman is in everything and everything is Brahman.
--The individual soul is part of Brahman
--Major deities are a BIG part of Brahman
--For my science folks, think of it as energy—it cannot be created or destroyed; it just changes form.
--For my Sci-Fi kids, think of it as “The Force” in Star Wars!

2. Deities are major sources of Brahman
Deities are another word for gods.
Hindu gods are many depictions/faces of the one power of Brahman
Consider the Trinity in Christianity
Conception of Satan/Evil taking different forms
Twilight and shapeshifters

3. 3 major deities Brahma: the creator
Vishnu: The preserver: maintains order and dharma in the universe
Shiva: The destroyer. When the universe is out of balance and evil takes over, Shiva destroys the “present order” so that it can be recreated.
Think of a jeweler melting down old gold to make new, beautiful pieces of jewelry.

4. Dharma Your duty as based on your caste and general values
If you do your dharma, you’ll earn good karma
Dharma usually involves doing some sort of job in your caste. This preserves order in society.
General values:
Marriage
Sharing food
Not harming living things/non-violence
Stems from reincarnation
Sacred cow!

5. Hinduism is based on the concept of reincarnation (Spirits are reborn many times in different forms trying to become one with Brahman). The soul moves up or down a hierarchy depending on their behavior in life.
A person moves closer to Brahman by obeying the law of karma. Karma is the sum of all your deeds, good and bad. Good deeds involve following your dharma, or duties dependent on your position, gender and occupation.

6. The caste system (outlawed since 1948) was an important part of Hinduism. Castes are social classes into which a person is born and lives their entire life. If a person has a good karma they may be reincarnated into a higher caste.
This life
Next life
Good Karma
Higher caste
Born into
A caste
Bad Karma
Lower caste

7. The caste system comes from a creation myth
The caste system comes from a creation myth. Because it has religious origins, it has a lot of influence since it was thought to be from the gods. Here is the myth:
At the end of a thousand periods of years, the egg was lyin in water. Having broken the egg, Purusa emerged from it, with a thousand thighs, ankles, arms, and eyes, and a thousand faces and heads. From his limbs the wise fashioned the worlds, seven downwards from the back and seven upwards from his hips and so on.
The head of Purusa is a Brahman (priest), the Ksatriya (warrior/king) his arms, the two thighs are born the Vaisya (merchants), and the Sudra (artisans) from his feet.

8. Samsara Samsara is the cycle of reincarnation or rebirth.
People are born again and again into different castes depending on their karma
The goal is to attain your “best life” after reincarnations and leave the cycle of difficulty, trials, hardship, that is life and reach “paradise.”
You finally get off of the life “treadmill”

9. Key Concepts Dharma Karma Samsara Reincarnation Brahman Vishnu Shiva
Deities
Purusa
Caste